Scales of production, JIT and cell production

Overview

One-off, batch, mass and continuous production, cell production and flexible manufacturing, just-in-time and Kanban, quick response manufacturing and concurrent engineering.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is one-off production?

   Model answer

   One-off production makes a single item to a customer's individual requirements, such as a bespoke kitchen. Skilled labour and general-purpose tools make each item costly.

2. 2

   What is batch production?

   Model answer

   Batch production makes a set quantity of identical items before the equipment is reset for a different product. Jigs, templates and moulds keep each batch consistent.

3. 3

   What is mass production?

   Model answer

   Mass production makes very large numbers of identical products on dedicated assembly lines, such as cars or kettles. High tooling costs are spread over many units, so each unit is cheap.

4. 4

   What is continuous production?

   Model answer

   Continuous production runs day and night without stopping, often for years, to make one standard product. Oil refining, steelmaking and float glass manufacture are examples.

5. 5

   Why is continuous production kept running without stopping?

   Model answer

   Shutting down and restarting furnaces or chemical plant is slow, costly and wasteful. Constant running keeps quality even and spreads the huge cost of the plant.

6. 6

   Compare the workforce needed for batch production and mass production.

   Model answer

   Batch production needs flexible, often skilled workers who switch between tasks. Mass production uses repetitive, lower-skilled tasks or robots, which can make work monotonous.

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